3Degrees Discussions #64 - 3Degrees AMx - Advanced Manufacturing Experience

Today we have a special episode featuring students from the inaugural 3Degrees AMx – Advanced Manufacturing Experience. Working with local community group West Side Forward, this course aimed to bring the excitement and opportunity of jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector to underserved communities. The 3D Printing industry has grown up to 30% over the past five years, adding thousands of new-collar jobs to the American workforce. Yet just because the additive manufacturing industry has jobs, it doesn’t mean there isn’t difficulty filling them. New collar positions, like the ones created by industrial 3D Printing, value technical skills over college degrees— something difficult to find in today’s workforce. 3Degrees is working to solve this problem. I’ve seen this first-hand as an entrepreneur running two companies that help large manufacturing organizations (e.g., government, aerospace, automotive) implement 3D Printing technology. My clients tell me time and again that they have well-paying, benefit-eligible jobs that they cannot fill. It seems the US has forgotten how to train its workforce for today’s jobs that do not require a college degree.” “On the flip side, access to finding jobs in this industry is not straight forward. Most of these companies are small (100 employees) and unless you have some network or understanding of the industry you may not know what’s happening in the white, non-descript, windowless buildings on the side of the highway.’ The pilot course was a combination of in person instruction, tours of leading 3D Printing facilities like Renishaw, Impossible Objects, and mHub as well as mentors from across the industry (Siemens Energy, EOS, Desktop Metal, Met-l-Flo, Dyndrite, Forecast3D). Throughout the duration of the course, the class got to trial different technologies and design their own parts using the Future of Jewelry online software. Students had the opportunity to receive the Certified Manufacturing Technologist (CMfgT) certification from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and America Makes upon completing the course. The program culminated with a guided tour of North America’s largest 3D Printing trade show Rapid. Before we get started head over to www.3degreescompany.com and subscribe to the podcast. Remember you can listen to the show anywhere you download your podcasts including Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or Stitcher

Om Podcasten

Dr. Mike Vasquez is a 3D Printing expert specializing in pushing the boundaries of advanced 3D printing technology. He is the Founder and CEO of 3Degrees, a Chicago-based consulting company focused on helping organizations maximize their investment in the technology. Over the past decade he has worked side-by-side with some of the top machine manufacturers, material producers and end users in the industry, consulting with them to identify novel applications, test new materials and develop frameworks to maximize R&D efficiency and boost ROI. Based on insights gleaned from the consulting, Mike has spun out two additional organizations. First, a software company called TraceAM with the mission to help manufacturers organize and analyze their 3D Printing digital data. In the last year, they have worked with customers such as Air Force Research Lab, Renishaw, Ohio State University and Fabrisonic. The second organization, AMx or Advanced Manufacturing Experience, was created by Mike to offer an on-ramp for new workers from disadvantaged regions looking to enter the field of Advanced Manufacturing. A voluntary effort designed to give back to the industry and community, the pilot course was run in the West Side of Chicago and with support from America Makes and West Side Forward. In 2022, AMx is hoping to secure funding to branch out to multiple cities and regions. He completed his PhD in Additive Manufacturing at Loughborough University and received both his Bachelors and Masters from MIT in Materials Science and Engineering. Mike is regularly asked to speak as an expert on the topic of 3D Printing and has given talks at SxSW, the National Association of Attorneys General annual meeting and numerous industry conferences. Mike is the host of 3Degrees Discussions, a weekly podcast where he speaks with the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the 3D Printing industry. Currently the show has over 89 episodes including interviews from leaders at NASA, Ford and Boeing.